
This one story commercial building on Simpson Ave in McCleary was built in 1937. Recently I've seen roof patch work being done on it. The building is
for sale.
The above photo is from
Steve's blog and more photos can be found on the
county assessor's office site. But to get the full effect of the James Abbott murals on the building you really have to visit it in person.
Another Abbott mural can be found down the street on the Gordon's grocery store. And Elma has quite a few. But we can stay with The Building with the Scary Eyes for this post.
I like the idea of historical themed murals. I like lots of street art in general - like the free wall in Olympia, I also like old commercial art on city buildings. I think Abbott's landscapes, vehicles, and buildings are fine. But his people, specifically their faces, seem to be all the same. And the eyes of the people on that building in McCleary are downright spooky.
Maybe restoration and repainting will do the trick. Maybe time and wear are the cause of these particularly soulless eyes. Maybe a new owner needs to give the building a completely fresh coat of paint.
When do we need to preserve outdoor building murals, no matter what? How can we retain art (maybe save some of the murals on that building, not all, and touch up what remains?) without creeping ourselves out for decades to come?